Cave in Confession
by GirlWithTheInkStainedSoul
Summary: A story of betrayal, death, and a confession, all unexpected I OWN NOTHING
1. Falling into Love

"Sokka, they're gone. There's nothing we can do but keep moving."

That morning had started in disarray, total confusion, shock, and pain. Toph and Sokka had woken up to an empty, destroyed temple. But that wasn't what had caused Sokka's heart to race. Katara and Aang were missing. All that was left, underneath broken slabs of marble, was the necklace Sokka and Katara's mother had given to Katara. It was now wrapped around Sokka's wrist. For once, Sokka was glad that Toph was blind. She couldn't see the tears building up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away.

"We have to move! Who ever ki-who ever took them may still be here, waiting."

Sokka looked up at Toph. He suddenly felt the urge to protect her. He saw worry in her face, and wondered what she had almost said. Kidnapped? Surely not killed. Tears started to fall down Sokka's face, and he wiped them away before they feel to the ground, before Toph could sense them.

"You're right, lets go."

Toph could sense the fear and despair in Sokka's voice. She had to be strong for the both of them. She was about to walk over and comfort Sokka when they heard a light laughter from behind.

"You don't really think they're still alive, do you?" 

Both Sokka and Toph turned around to see whose lips these words spilled from, but they already knew.

"Zuko!? You…you…what did you do to my sister?!"

Rage hit Sokka, who pulled out his sword.

"Nothing she didn't have coming to her. No one threatens me and gets away with it."

Toph almost laughed at this, but she knew how to hide her emotions and just smirked.

"She's gone, and you two are next."

 Zuko stood tall, his arms crossed upon his chest, a mix of a smirk and a smile across his lips. A look Sokka was much to used to.

 "AAH!" Sokka ran after Zuko, sword in hand, but Toph moved the earth before he could reach him. Panting, Sokka started at Toph, surprised. _What was she doing? Was she in this with Zuko?_ 

As if she read his mind, Toph answered the look on Sokka's face, even though she couldn't see it.

"I'm in this with you, and I want him dead too, but look."

Toph nudged her chin past Zuko. Azula and 30 or so firebenders stood behind him.  

"We can't win this battle, we have to MOVE!" Toph yelled.

Emotion began to overcome her.

"It's what Aang would do," she said, and a tear fell from her check. She quickly shook her head. "Lets go." 

She and Sokka began to ran towards where they left Appa, but he wasn't there. Azula showed up out of no where.

"Looking for this?" Her words came to their ears sharply. Appa was chained down beside her, trying to break free of the binds that held him.

"I'm surprised you two slept so deeply, you didn't hear us attack until it was too late."

She looked at Sokka, a smirk matching her brother's on her face.

"I'm also surprised your little blind friend there hasn't heard anything about her parents' death. It's a shame, it really is." 

Nothing seemed to ever get to Toph, but there's a first for everything. Pain took over, and she fell to her knees. 

"She's lying Toph, lets go!" Sokka tried to get to his friend, but he didn't move. 

"No…she's not…" Sokka thought Toph was going to break down crying, but she stood instead, ready to fight. Just as she was about to strike, lightening exploded from Azula's fingertips. The emotions that had taken over Toph must have stopped her from moving, just as Sokka's emotions took over his. He ran right in front of Toph, blocking the lightening that was intended to hit the little earthbender. 

Toph starred at the floor that Sokka's limp body laid on.

"No…" She fell to her knees once again.

"NO!" She grabbed Sokka and felt the earth give in under her. She broke enough of the earth floor free for her and Sokka to float on, but Toph knew escaping wouldn't be easy. The only way to go was down, into the abyss. Azula began to attack again, lightening missed Toph's face by inches. Toph knew what she had to do. She grabbed Sokka and held on as tight as she could, and jumped into the darkness.

Toph quickly moved any earth she could, and she and Sokka landed on the floating earth with a thud. As Toph's eyes adjusted to the dark, she realized that Sokka had just saved her life. Now it was her turn to save his.

Still floating, she felt for the earth wall that held the temple, and floated downward until she could no longer hear the voices of Azula and Zuko, laughing over triumph. When she felt that they were deep enough, Toph bended the earth walls to create an opening, a cave. She laid Sokka on the floor and put her ear to his chest. She heard nothing over her own thumping heart.

"Come on you idiot! LIVE! Don't leave me here, don't you DARE leave me here alone!" Toph's screams echoed along the cave walls, and she began to cry once more.

"Please…" she pleaded. She couldn't see Sokka's eyes open, and she was to busy banged her fists on the ground to hear him move.

"I never got to tell you…I never told you I love you…" Toph faced Sokka, still unaware of his breathing. She leaned in to kiss him goodbye, and suddenly felt his hand caress her cheek. Sokka pulled away.

"I love you too." He pulled Toph close to him, never wanting to let go, but after a minute, Toph pulled away. She cocked her head to one side, a smile on her face, and balled her small hand into a fist. The little earthbender hit Sokka hard in the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?" He smiled, knowing Toph's answer before she spoke.

"You scared me! Don't you ever do something like that again! You're all I have left."

Her last words were mumbled under her breath.

Sokka pulled her close once again.

"I won't, I promise."


	2. Questionable Liars

A/N: Thanks for all your input! I wouldn't have continued otherwise! I know Tokka love isn't going to happen (mumbles something about a Suki take over), but I'm still looking forward to the bonding. So thanks to all the Tokka fans, and special thanks to Liooness, Lurisa, Solembum13, and TokkaLover11. Love you guys, you keep me writing!!

**Chapter 2: Questionable Liars**

"Can you stand?"

"Ya—AAAH! Um, no?"

_Sigh _"We need Ka- …I'm sorry Sokka…"

"Was she telling the truth?"

"Who, Azula?"

Sokka nodded, but remembering that Toph couldn't see it, he whispered his reply, "Yah."

"I forgot…I forgot that I couldn't read her lies. So maybe…"

"Then…Aang and Katara…They'll be ok," Sokka wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, Toph or himself. "What about…ugh…what about Zuko?" Sokka asked, grasping his side where Azula's lightening bolt had hit him.

Toph, who had been with Katara the countless times she had to heal the boys after one of their bending sessions, knew she would need to apply pressure to Sokka's wound. She tore each of her sleeves and pushed them onto Sokka's wound, feeling her way through the vibrations of his pain. Toph thought about what Zuko had said to them.

"I felt anger, and pure hatred…and…"

"…yah?"

"Confusion, and remore."

"Ha, you probably read him wrong."

Toph glared at Sokka; the notion that she had read Zuko's emotions wrong, or anyone's for that matter, was probably one of Sokka's lame jokes that no one seemed to catch on to.

Her deadly, angered stare spooked Sokka a bit, who tried to sit up with his back against the earth wall of the tunnel Toph had bent. She sat beside him, never leaving her hand off his wound. "Hehe…kidding?" Sokka was hoping she'd smile; Toph seemed to be the only hope he had left…

"Right…well, I can't tell if someone's lying if they're asking a _question._"

Sokka held his side, groaning from shifting his weight. Toph looked up at him as their hands touched, but said nothing. The small earthbender slowly clenched a fist, softening the dirt wall behind him. "Thanks…what do u mean by 'a question'?"

Toph sighed. Regardless of whether or not it was a life or death situation, Sokka was always slow on the uptake. "Sparky said 'You don't really think they're still alive, do you?' He's been with us so long he knows all of our secrets, even how to get past me with lies. But the way he said it…it seemed with com-"

Toph's ears suddenly twitched; she heard voices. Her hand went directly to Sokka's mouth before he could say anything, quickly silencing him while the volume of the voices grew louder. "I want their bodies. We won't leave here until they are found!" Azula's determination was getting on Toph's last nerve. She stood ready to fight the fire nation princess if she found their burrow, and strained to hear any movement outside, but another groan from Sokka took her from her thoughts. She would have to give Azula her full attention, and she couldn't do that while worrying about Sokka and battling off any benders Azula brought down with her. The earthbender wondered what to do when Azula yelled again.

"Have you found anything yet?!"

"No princess, we're looking." Vibrations in the earth told Toph they were scaling they abyss walls in the same matter Toph and Aang had scaled the wall of Ba Sing Se. The earthbender quickly and carefully closed the opening of the wall that made their cave, and looked at Sokka. Although the little earthbender was stronger than she appeared, there was no way she could carry him. The vibrations grew stronger, the Di Le closer, and Toph ran to where Sokka sat, still holding his side, and she whispered "Don't move."

The vibrations were now strong enough for even Sokka to feel, who was holding bated breath. But the vibrations hadn't stopped; the Di Le hadn't sensed them, instead continuing down the abyss. The couple finally exhaled, and Sokka looked up at Toph.

"Thanks," he said, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Luckily for Toph it was too dark for Sokka to see, because her cheeks had turned a faint pink.

"For what?" she asked, still blushing.

"For saving my life, twice!"

Toph tried to refrain from blushing again, and instead punched Sokka, lightly for once, on the elbow. "Don't let Katara and Aang see you do that, we'll never hear the end of it," the earthbender said, touching the cheek Sokka pecked.

"You really think they're still alive?"

"Ya…I do…and we have to find them." _Sparky deliberately didn't lie to me_, she thought. _And I think I know why…_

A/N: Evil Princess. Toph is gonna give a nickname to Azula soon, no worries. So why do you think Zuko said what he did, how he did? Is it relevant, or am I just playing with you? Hehe. Tell me watcha think! 3 Tokka!


	3. Love Onward

**Chapter 3: Love Onward**

"Toph, we've been walking, ugh, okay, _staggering_, for an hour now. Do you even know where we're going?!"

"Shut it Snoozles, or I'll leave you here to complain, _alone_."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Sokka knew better than to argue with Toph, and there was no doubt that she would drop him where they stood in an instant. But the swordsman also knew that the earthbender wouldn't leave him alone. They both loved each other; they wouldn't just abandon one another.

Sokka continued to lean on Toph for support, wishing for his sister to heal the wound now identical to Aang's. Every few minutes Toph bent the earth to continue the underground cave trail she had created. The two were so deep into the cave, trying to cross to the opposite side of the temple so they could escape, that it was too dark to see more than a foot or so in front of them. Although, Toph didn't need much more than her feet on the ground to steer them ahead.

They continued forward silently, until Toph finally broke the silence.

"So you love me, huh Snoozles? What ever happened to Fans of Frilliness?" Toph mentally kicked herself for the horribleness that was Suki's nickname, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

"Uh…well…I guess she was just a way for me to hide my real feelings…about you…"

"But you care about her, don't you?" Toph didn't give Sokka the chance to answer. "That's why you teared up when Azula mentioned her, huh?"

Sokka didn't answer, his mind now on Suki. He did care about her, but…He looked down at Toph; small as she was, she continued to hold Sokka's weight as they continued onward. Just as their love continued onward… What he felt for Toph was different, and he told her as much.

"Toph…I…I don't love Suki. She's great and all, she's just not…She's not you!" He blurted out, wondering if he'd regret his choice of words.

"Hm. And I'd thought I would always be that little earthbendering girl to you," she mumbled under her breath, knowing the height difference between the two would hinder Sokka from hearing.

"When did you…when did you know you…you loved me?" Toph asked, directing her useless eyes Sokka's way.

"Snoozles…" The non-bender replied, just low enough for Toph's acute hearing to catch.

"Uh…What?"

"The day you called me Snoozles. that's when I knew. You were something special, and I saw past your blindness, past your blending and beauty, past everything I _saw_, what I saw with my eyes didn't matter. I…I looked deeper and saw the girl I could only dream of having. I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Toph laughed, happy Sokka couldn't see her blushing. "Should I pinch you to make sure?"

"Nah, I think I'll pass on that. So what about you Miss Bei Fong?"

"Call me that again Snoozles, see what happens. That's not even a real nickname and it stunk."

"That doesn't answer the questions Bandit."

Toph blushed again, embarrassed of how girly Sokka made her feel.

"That's better. And I guess I've loved you since I first felt your vibration. Your clumsy, pitiful, all over the place vibrations."

Sokka smiled, for once not arguing against an insult.

Toph continued. "All my life, my parents have been trying to change how I look and act, to turn me into the perfect bride. Before you guys found me, my parents were trying to find me a suitor. Dozens of dudes attempted impress me, and I hated it. You acted like yourself, you didn't care how foolish you acted because that's just who you were…Happy? I've just spilled my guts. What more could you want Snoozles?"

"This," and with that their lips met, causing Toph's cheeks to turn crimson yet again. It was she who pulled away, and just continued walking with Sokka at her side, like nothing happened.

Toph stopped again to push away the earth ahead of them, but someone beat her to it.

"What the?!"

A baby badgermole crossed their path, a mooselion cub trailing behind. Toph knew the vibrations of both creatures, but stayed rooted to the sport, surprised by the pair. Sokka, equally surprised, just barely caught a glimpse of the two as they waddled by. The badgermole created another hole in the earth, to the right of the human couple, and the mooselion continued inward with its pal.

"Uh…"

"Let's just keep walking."

"Right."

A/N: For anyone whose read by Tokka fics before, you should understand that a baby mooselion and badgermole cub randomly inserted into the story is my symbol for Tokka. I just thought it would be a cute something to add. Alright, so anyway. This was kinda just a filler chapter, but I promise things are going to get insanely intense. Like, why did Zuko purposefully trick Toph's lying sensor? And where are Kataang? Are they alive at least? I can give you the answers, if you wait around long enough to find out!!


	4. Strange Vibes

**Chapter 4: Strange Vibes**

"Toph, how much longer will we be underground? We've been walking _forever_." Toph was already used to Sokka's constantly complaining, but this was getting out of hand.

"Shut up Snoozles," she said, carefully pushing him against the wall to their right so he could support himself as she checked their distance. The young earthbender put her hand to the side of her continuous cave, attempting to feel past every rock and worm and speckle of dirt. Satisfied, she allowed Sokka to lean back on her as they continued through the tunnel.

"Not much farther now, Snoozles. At the pace we're going, I'd say an hour longer or so."

Sokka stopped in his tracks, keeping Toph beside him. _"_An _**hour?!**_"

"Oh calm down Snoozles. You know the temple stretches onward for just about ever. We would have been done by now if you had just let Azula shoot me down, but you just had to be noble and save me," she was only joking, but at this Sokka didn't laugh.

"You think I regret saving you?"

Toph blinked, not expecting the question at all, and she attempted to sidestep it. "Come on, let's go, we have a lot of ground to cover."

Sokka walked along side her, but wouldn't drop his question, instead answering it himself. "Toph, I would never regret saving your life. Not when you're all I have left to live for."

Toph ignored this; Sokka being romantic wasn't something she could ever get used to, and she wouldn't accept the fact that her cheeks were flushed every time he _was_ romantic.

They continued to walk for sometime, and as Toph was reluctant to say anything in return a silence issued. Her mind was reeling with all the conversations they'd had together, all the adventures and nights staying up talking. And yet, there was nothing that was quite comparable to this.

She knew she had to say something, and so Toph choose her words carefully, trying not to shake as she attempted to be equally romantic.

"Of course I don't think you regret saving me, Snoozles. It's just that, I think about what _would_ have happened if I were the one shot down. Instead of you leaning on me for the mere support I can give, I would be in your arms, and you'd carry me to safety. That's where I'd rather be."

Now it was Sokka's turn to cause the awkward silence, and after a while of thought he knew exactly how to break it. He stopped Toph in her steps, holding his one hand on her shoulder and the other caressing her check. He leaned down slowly, and the couple both closed their eyes at the same instant, anticipating what would happen next. But suddenly Toph's eyes popped open, and she stepped away, standing protectively in front of Sokka, who was beyond confused.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, knowing that she was worried about _something_. But what?

"Something…_someone_ is coming. I'm sensing the strangest vibrations, as though something were knocking constantly against the rock in front of us. But I can't tell what…" She felt her hand against the rock in front of her, which was blocking them from continuing forward. "The rock in front of me makes everything unclear, I can't see who it is. But its…" Toph pulled her hand away, as if she'd been burned. "Hot."

Sokka could now feel the pressure against the earth, as if someone were trying to break down the rock that was separating he or she from the couple. The sound he heard…it seemed so familiar… And then he realized.

"Toph, **get down!**" he yelled, grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling his arms around her, shielding her from the sudden crash of the rock. Fire burst from the hole that was newly created, binding their path with another. Sokka clung onto Toph tighter, trying to turn his body around so that she'd be away from the fire.

Someone stepped out of the hole, and Toph felt the nervous yet prepared vibrations in front of them. Sokka's eyes widened in surprise, but the new arrival seemed not to notice.

"Hi there, Zuko here."

--

A/N: Dont hate me, you should have been expecting that. Anyway, sorry I havnt updated this one in forever, STS is just more fun. Hope you like, leme know?


	5. Confusing Confessions

**Chapter 5: Confusing Confessions**

Both Toph and Sokka immediately jumped to their feet—Sokka groaning in pain as he did so—and positioned themselves into their defensive stance. Zuko seemed confused at first, but his hands remained at his sides.

"How did you find us?" Sokka demanded, his right hand to the rock wall for support and his left on the hilt of his sword.

"I knew you would be underground, and I—"

"Came to finish off your sister's work? I thought we knew you better than that, Spar—Zuko." Toph frowned as she spoke, fighting against showing her true emotions.

"No…I…It's not like that!" Zuko fought to find his words, and Toph starred in his general direction. She walked closer to Sokka and whispered, "He's not lying," low enough that only Sokka could hear.

"Then tell us why you're here, if it's not to capture us and take us to your sister. What do you want, Zuko? Other than to regain your _honor_." Sokka spat the last word with near disgust, but Zuko didn't cringe.

"This isn't about me anymore," Zuko said from the other side of the path; rocks and boulders that were caused by Zuko's firebending laid blackened on the cold ground. "This isn't even about you. It's about saving Aang—" Sokka opened his mouth to interrupt, and Zuko understood. "And your sister. We need to end this war, _now_."

Sokka looked down at Toph, who's face was full of contemplation. She looked up at Zuko, a frown still drawn on her face.

"After all this time…how can we trust you again Zuko? How do we know this isn't just some trap?" Toph and Zuko had become close friends during their time at the temple, and Sokka could tell Zuko's betrayal hurt her.

"This is how," Zuko whispered, throwing a small object to Toph's feet. She knelt down to pick it up, feeling the cold metal carving and silky cloth in her fingers. The earthbender held it up so Sokka could see, and he almost choked in surprise. In Toph's hands was a betrothal necklace, obviously meant for Katara because of the combined fire and water nation insignias on the metal.

"You we're going to propose to my sister?!" Sokka threw the necklace back towards Zuko as if the metal had burned him, anger clouding his thoughts. "_You_ were going to propose to my _baby_ sister?!"

Toph squeezed Sokka's hand, trying to reassure him and calm him at once.

"Took you long enough," Toph muttered, but neither of the men heard her.

"It's…complicated," Zuko said calmly, obviously not effected by Sokka's rough tone.

Sokka glared at Zuko, and decided he didn't want to hear it. The swordsman made a mental note to have a talk with Katara later…once they found her and Aang.

"Fine. If you're on our side, then where is she? Where's Katara?"

Zuko sighed, and leaned against the earth wall. It was going to take a lot that he didn't have to regain their trust again. He'd have to start from the beginning.


End file.
